[Sonography of caudal hepatic veins].

Demonstration of caudal hepatic veins can give helpful preoperative information to the surgeon. In the Budd-Chiari syndrome, caudal hepatic veins are of special importance. They are the last possibility for hepatic venous drainage. Until now caudal hepatic veins could only be depicted by angiographic methods. Upper abdominal sonography makes the non-invasive demonstration possible. Upper abdominal sonography could demonstrate caudal hepatic veins in 23 of 50 unselected patients. The average age of the patients was 6 years and 3 months.